ET
by LuckyGreenMark
Summary: Rydel is in her famous pop band, R5. When they have a concert in Seattle, she runs into Tony Lee, apparently dragged along to the concert by his sister, Miranda. It doesn't start off too well, but when she starts seeing more and more Tony in her life, she may start to fall for the mysterious boy.
1. Chapter 1

E.T.

**Heyo! I decided to make a story for Rydel! I feel like there needs to be a story focusing on Rydel, and just Rydel. And not with Ellington as her boyfriend or anybody. I know some people don't like OC stories, but please give it a try? :)  
**

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"_Kiss me! K-k-kiss me! Infect me with you love and fill me with your poison. Take me. Ta-ta-take me! I wanna be your victim! Ready for abduction!"_

Stomps roared in Rydel's ear as she waved her hand through the air. The crowd mimicked her movements, moving their arms in sync with hers. Ryland stayed in the background, thumping the electronic sounds. On either sides of her, her brothers jumped in the air, playing their guitars and bass. The lights shined behind her, a starburst of pink, blue, and green.

"_Boy, you're an alien! Your touch so foreign! It's supernatural! Extraterrestrial!" _Rydel bopped her head from side to side with the beat, her long blonde hair swinging. The fans screamed, singing along and slamming their feet onto the ground below them. The rush she felt in the air was amazing.

She turned and walked to her brother, Riker, who was holding his bass tightly, the sweat visible in the turning lights. She wrapped her arm around his neck while she sang, their bodies moving to the beat. Then she went back to the front center of the stage, singing the last few lines of the song.

"_Boy, you're an alien! Your touch so foreign! It's supernatural! Extraterrestrial!" _The last note ended with a bang, and the crowd screamed so loud Rydel's couldn't hear them for a moment. She grinned, smoothing the white flowing dress she was wearing and laughed into the microphone.

She loved playing shows. Especially when she got to sing a few songs for their fans. They had just performed Katy Perry's song _E.T._, and the fans were loving it. She was hot, though. She wasn't jumping around or dancing as much as the boys, but her dress was stuck against her skin as they walked off stage, their show over. The fans were still cheering for them, the sound deafening, rippling through the air like waves on an ocean.

"Awesome fucking awesome!" Ross yelled over the noise as they tromped through the back-stage, now getting ready for the meet and greet, like every concert they have. They were always given at least fifteen minutes to cool down, get the energy buzz off of them.

She sighed, taking a deep breath and collapsing on a green couch backstage. Riker dug into his backpack and pulled out a plain black T-shirt, tearing his old, sweat-drenched one off to put that one on. Rocky pulled out his found and started texting someone, his fingers going a million miles per hour across the keys. Ratliff and Ross both grabbed their water bottles and downed the whole thing. The sweatbands on Ratliff's wrist were dropped on the floor.

Rydel let her head fall back on the couch, but lifted her hair up so it wasn't stuck between her body and the couch. Her body felt strange in the cool room, even though her blood was pumping through her veins. Her dress was nice and pretty, going mid-thigh, and it was loose enough that she wasn't too sweaty, but she needed water.

She got up, walking over to the mini fridge nestled in the corner. She threw it open, grabbing a water bottle, and uncapped it. The music from their last song still thumped in her mind. She swallowed half of the water bottle in a few seconds, before twisting the plastic cap back on.

"That was epic!" Ratliff said, grinning. "Rydel, your voice! The last song! Totally ass-whipping."

Rydel rolled her eyes at their boy-talk. Riker was on his phone, standing in the other corner of the room, his back to them. His blonde hair was messy and sweaty, and she walked over.

"Hey big bro. Who you talking to?" she asked.

Riker whirled around, startled and almost panicked that Rydel caught him. She tried looking at the screen to see who he was calling, but he quickly put it behind him and backed up against the wall. Rydel crinkled her eyebrows in confusion.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Riker asked, half horrified, half angry. Rydel quickly shook her head, surprised Riker sounded so uptight about it.

Riker's shoulders relaxed. "Okay, good." He turned back around, and Rydel tried peering over his wide shoulders.

"Riker, who are you talking to?"

"None of your business," Riker muttered, and Rydel realized something. This is how he acted when he liked someone. Rydel gasped, a grin spreading across her face.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Rydel squealed, and Riker's face turned red with embarrassment.

"None of your business, Rydel!" he exclaimed again, before shoving his phone in his pocket and walking away from her. Rydel only laughed. Finally, her bro had somebody! About time!

She walked back to the others. Rocky and Ross were having a thumb wrestling match. Ratliff was on his phone, probably playing a game like Flappy Bird or something stupid like that. Riker was still talking to his girlfriend. She twisted her wrist, getting it ready for autograph signing.

When they were ready, they walked to the meet and greet area, where fans waited in long lines to meet them. The screamed as R5 emerged, and Rydel grinned, waving vaguely to the crowd. They took a seat at the plastic tables, where merchandise was laid out for the fans to buy.

It took roughly four hours to get through all the buying, signing, and pictures. Thankfully, Ryland was there to help a smooth transition, and by the time it was all over, they were dead-tired. Rydel helped Ryland close up the venue, though, and so did Ross and Riker.

While they were folding up the plastic tables, a girl suddenly approached them. She looked around sixteen, and she had long chocolate-brown hair that fell past her shoulders. She looked at R5, awe-struck, no doubt a fan, and Ryland's eyes practically bugged out of his face.

"How are you still here?" he asked. "I closed up the venue. Nobody was left."

The girl blushed furiously. "I'm sorry! I just... I never got the chance to see you during the meet and greet. I got lost in the crowd. I was hoping I could still see you.." She trailed off as Ryland shook his head.

"Sorry. We're closing up. Maybe next time..."

"Oh come on, Ryland," Rydel jumped in. "I love meeting fans." She walked up to the girl, and wrapped her in a hug. Rydel noticed how cold she was. The girl looked like she was about to faint in happiness, though, and hugged Rydel back.

"What's your name?" Rydel asked.

"Miranda Lee," she said. "I love you guys. You're such a huge inspiration to me! I'm learning to play piano like you Rydel, and it's so fun!"

Rydel smiled. "That's awesome!"

Miranda looked sheepishly at the ground. "Could you maybe sign the CD I have o your album? You know, if you have the time. I know I actually shouldn't be here because I was too late and-"

"Miranda!"

They all turned to see a tall guy walking towards them. He had brown hair that cast across his forehead, and he wore a blue plaid shirt over a black T-shirt, black jeans, and Nikes. He looked around Rydel's age, maybe a year older. He would've been cute if he hadn't been scowling at Miranda.

"Miranda, what are you doing? We're supposed to go in ten minutes!"

"I wanted to see them," Miranda argued. "I missed them during the meet and greet. They're nice enough to let me see them still!"

"Who's this?" Rocky asked, nodding at the boy Miranda was arguing with. Miranda just rolled her eyes in exasperation and scoffed.

"My brother. Tony. He's a total jerk right now because he had to come along with me, but our mom didn't want to go and Tony is old enough," Miranda explained.

"Well... Hi Tony," Rydel offered. She held out her hand, but Tony only shrank back like she had spit on her palm before offering it to him. He scowled at her, and Rydel stepped back, taken aback by his attitude.

"Come _on_, Miranda!" Tony commanded harshly. "We have to go."

"But R5..."

"Honestly, you're getting too mixed in with these human cultures," Tony muttered, but Rydel heard him. Or, at least, that's what she thinks she heard. That made no sense, but her attention was diverted when Miranda handed Rydel a Sharpie and a copy of their album Louder. Rydel scrawled her signature on it, and handed it to Riker.

Miranda gave Rydel another hug, and Rydel hugged her back. Miranda seemed nice, but something about Tony unsettled her. As she looked at Tony over Miranda's shoulder during the hug, Tony was staring back at Rydel, and his blue eyes were piercing.

When all of R5 had signed the CD, Rydel passed it back to Miranda, who smiled brightly. The girl had a pretty smile. Or maybe it was just because she was standing next to Tony, who was scowling deeply. Any smile looked better next to him.

"Well," Rydel said. "It was nice meeting you two."

"I wish I could say the same," Tony grumbled. Miranda looked mortified, and Rydel shrugged it off, even if it was incredibly rude. Something about Tony set her off, so really, she was glad he was rude. The ruder he was, the quicker he'd leave. Right?

But from the look on his face, Riker looked like he was about to attack Tony for being mean to Rydel, so Rydel quickly moved the conversation on. "Well, Miranda. I guess you should go, like Tony said. I need to do vocal practices, anyway."

"Like you can sing," Tony muttered. Did he _want_ to argue with her?

Rydel's head snapped up at that, and she glared at Tony. She _could_ sing. She was amazing at singing! Tony smirked, and Rydel realized he was trying to get a reaction out of her. Jerk.

"I wouldn't throw that insult at someone because you probably can't sing either," Rydel snapped. The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them, and Tony didn't look fazed at all. That irritated her. Miranda gaped at them in horror. Tony's lips twisted into a smirk, and maybe it would've been cute if his attitude wasn't so gauche.

"Why do little girls idolize you?" Tony asked. "You're just... a blonde girl that got lucky. _All_ of you. You're just all lucky. You make music for crap." Miranda let out a exclamation of dismay, but Rydel could only glower at Tony.

"Lucky?" She felt her face heat up. "We aren't here out of _luck_. It takes talent and skills and patience and-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tony grumbled. "Come on, Miranda. Let's go home."

"Tony, that was rude! That was _terrible!_ You better apologize to Rydel right now-!"

Tony cut his sister off by grabbing her arm and yanking her to the exit. Rydel felt bad for Miranda while she watched her get dragged by Tony to the exit. She wondered how Miranda tolerated someone like Tony.

It was silent for a long moment, before Ratliff said, "That was rude."

"Miranda was a sweetheart," Rydel said, even though she knew he meant Tony.

"Yeah, but her brother..." Riker shook his head, not able to finish. "Seriously. Where does he get that attitude?"

"It doesn't matter," Rydel said. "Right? There are always going to be haters. We just happened to run into one of them."

"You'd think they'd have the decency though to not say anything, right?" Rocky questioned. Rydel shrugged, pushing her blonde hair behind her shoulders. She sighed, looking at her phone.

"Let's go. Tomorrow we're leaving for our flight to Portland, Oregon. We don't need to be tired just because of a dumb random guy." Rocky and Ross nodded in agreement, but Ryland stared at the door, his eyes blazing with anger. Rydel sighed, wrapping one arm around Ryland's shoulders and another around Riker's.

"Tony is just some idiot. Let's focus on our tour. We're never going to see him again. What are the chances, anyway?" She tried for a laugh, and she felt her brothers relax. Good.

Oh, how big those chances actually were.

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**Okay! So, I hope this was a convincing enough start. I really hope this turns out okay. I've been thinking about it for a while, but now I'm actually writing it down. So, please review and tell me what you think! Criticism is appreciated, and so are compliments! No flames please!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Cynthia**


	2. Chapter 2

**So…. No reviews for ET yet. I really would like some feedback on what you think. Here's chapter two, though. I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. And the unrecognized characters.**

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Rydel's POV

"Rydel…" A gentle hand stroked my shoulder in my sleep. I stirred, my soul waking up inside of me. I opened my eyes and came face to face with Riker, who was on his knees to be at eye-level with me, staring at me intently.

I shrieked and jolted upright. Riker burst out laughing, standing up. I glared at him, my hair hanging around my face in a mess. My brother gave me a cocky grin, sweeping the hair out of his eyes.

"Riker!" I exclaimed. "What is wrong with you?"

"We don't want to be late for our flight, right?" Riker asked me. "I needed to wake you up."

"Next time, wake me up. Not scare the living daylights out of me." I pressed my palm to my chest to make sure my heart was still beating. "Oh my God, Riker. That scared me."

Riker only laughed more, finding it just _hilarious_. I glowered at him, and he left me alone, closing the door behind him.

We were at our hotel in Seattle, and thank the heavens I got my own room. Riker had to share with Rocky, Ross with Ryland, and Ratliff with our PA Garron. I was lucky being the only girl. It'd be so awkward if I had to share with one of my brothers or Ellington.

I stood up. No point in sinking back into the sheets. I honestly wouldn't care if we were a few minutes late for more sleep. But since Riker had already got my body awake, I decided to just drag myself into the shower and get ready.

After a refreshing, warm shower, I changed into my traveling clothes. We wouldn't be doing anything today but just going to our tour stop and checking into the hotel, no shows, so there was no real need to get dressed up fancy. I slipped on a beanie, a white sweatshirt, and some jeans. When I was slipping on my dark green Converse, I heard a knock.

"Rydel, come on!" Rocky called. "We're going to be late because of you!"

"Oh no," I said, laughing. I grabbed my luggage and yanked it down the stairs and outside to the van, where Riker helped me load it in. Special sister treatment. It works for me.

The nest few hours were a rush. I guess I got so used to traveling that whenever we go to airports, get our passports checked, get our luggage in, I go into some sort of zoning-out phase. I work like a robot, and it's pretty typical. Do this. Walk over there. Wait in that line. Step here. I've done it so many times it's almost a routine.

After a long time, we finally got onto the plane, walking down the narrow, stuffy aisle to our assigned seats. Riker and Ross were next to each other, and so were Rocky and Ratliff. Garron and Ryland got seats next to each other, leaving me sitting with strangers. I groaned inside, before sitting in the seat next to the window.

I shoved my carry-on ahead of me, messing with my headphones. The wires were tangled together, and I let out a frustrated sigh. I set my phone on the armrest to my left and tried fumbling with the wires when I heard a clear voice.

"Oh, not _you_ again."

I looked up, and at first, it was just a teenage guy my age looking at me. Then I recognized the brown hair, the figure, and the bright blue eyes.

"Oh my stars… seriously?" I asked in disbelief, staring at Tony.

"Nice to see you too," Tony said, grinning cheekily, plopping down next to me after he placed his carry-on above us. I watched the way his green shirt slid across his skin as he stretched, then I looked at my headphones again.

"Really? Can you, like, switch seats with someone?" I asked.

"Aww… I'm not that bad," Tony said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"You insulted me so many times yesterday," I said harshly. "Why should I like you?"

"Because," Tony said. He didn't say anymore, but he sounded like he wanted to. I stared at him, waiting for an answer, but his chiseled features were expressionless as he turned on his phone. His thumb moved awkwardly across the screen and pressed down too hard. Either he was a novice with electronics, or he was just getting used to a new phone.

"What are you doing on this flight?" I asked, changing the subject. "Don't you live in Seattle?"

"No," Tony said, showing no sign of interest in our conversation. "I live in California. Los Angelos, to be more specific. My sister and I are on a family trip with our parents and hitting different cities. Portland, then Salem, San Francisco, Santa Maria, then back to Los Angelos."

My jaw slackened. "How long for each spot?"

Tony gave me an irritated look. I knew I was being nosy, but I didn't care. He rolled his eyes. "Why does it matter?"

"Because we, R5, are going to those cities for our concerts too. We're staying in each city for three days each. What about you?"

Tony studied me. "Us too."

I laughed uneasily. "Are you a stalker? Because this is creepy."

"I'm far from a stalker," Tony muttered, and glared back at his phone screen. "Like you are anything worth stalking." His thumb jerked nervously across the screen, pressing the same buttons in confusion. I glowered at him, before looking back at my lap.

I finally got my headphones untangled, but when I reached for my phone, it wasn't on the armrest where I had placed it. I put it there, right? I was pretty sure I put it there.

I narrowed my eyes at Tony, looking at him again. "Did you take my phone?"

Tony looked at me, genuinely annoyed now. "What? No."

"It was right here. On this armrest." I pointed at the armrest between our seats. "It was _right _here."

"Look around. Maybe it fell off," Tony muttered, jabbing his thumb on the screen.

I bent down and looked around the tiny carpeted area I could see, but I found nothing. I felt around with my hands, but only got a few wrappers and crumbs. Tony must've been looking at something funny on his phone, because a smirk formed on his face.

This, for some reason, was annoying me like crazy. I was sure I put my phone there. It was my phone. And yeah, I'm not proud of it, but I'm pretty attached to my phone. It has my music, photos and important notes. I needed to find it.

"I can't find it!" I exclaimed. "What if I left it at the airport? We're taking off soon. Oh my God."

Tony turned to me, swiveling his whole body. "Will you just…?" Then he stopped, confusion forming across his face, before amusement.

"What?" I demanded.

Tony started chuckling lightly. "Uh… Rydel? You sure you lost your phone?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, slamming my palm on the armrest between us. He didn't find my anger scary, he just stared at me, coyness glittering in his clear blue eyes. "It was right here! I set it down to untangle my headphones and it's gone! See?" I held up my mangled headphones, which were now snared again.

Tony bit his upper lip, and I noticed one of his incisors was a lot sharper than the other. Then it disappeared as he curled his lip back into place, and he laughed.

"What?" I almost yelled, getting some stares from across the seats. "Do you know where it is?"

"Uh, Rydel?" He nodded his brown-haired head to behind me. I turned around, and my mouth opened in embarrassment as I saw my phone resting on my armrest to my _right_.

No way.

"What?" I sputtered, grabbing it and holding it like I couldn't believe it was real, actually made of atoms. "How-? But-! I don't…." I couldn't finish. I was at loss for words.

Tony laughed gently, placing his hand on my shoulder. His fingers were long, and they brushed against my hair. His touch was cold and it surprised me.

"I think, Rydel Lynch, you simply cannot tell left from right."

"But I placed it here!" I complained, like I was whining about invisible forces moving my phone behind my back. "Even if I did put it on the other one, I would've noticed! I looked everywhere!"

"Humans and their ignorance," Tony laughed bitterly, like he wasn't a human that made mistakes. I narrowed my eyes at his blue ones and focused on them like in a Western movie.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" I demanded, but he didn't answer. A garbled announcement came over the intercom to fasten our seat-belts, and after a long moment of staring at Tony, I did as the flight attendant said. I couldn't believe I was going to sit next to this guy for hours.

Here we come Portland.

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"Freedom!" I gasped as I climbed off the plane. Riker gave me a _what-is-wrong-with-you?_ look, but I ignored him, waddling awkwardly on my stiff legs to Ellington and Ross, who were waiting for us. By the way their faces sagged, I guessed they didn't get a lot of sleep on the flight. I didn't either. It was too hard knowing that Tony was right next to me.

I inhaled some air, even though we were just walking through the airport and it wasn't exactly _fresh_. My traveling-self kicked in and the routine swung around. Pick up the luggage, check our hotel, blah-blah-blah. Ryland helped sort out things while the rest of us chatted.

Riker was on his phone again. I silently walked up to his back and tried peering over his wide shoulder, but his senses must've kicked in. He whirled around and almost slapped me across the face.

"Oh my God!" he exclaimed, lurching back in surprise. I did the same to avoid his hand. He was texting his girlfriend again. I grabbed his arm and dragged a little bit away from the group so they wouldn't overhear.

"Who's the lucky girl?" I teased, grinning.

Riker's face turned pink. "Nobody."

"So, not a celebrity like us?" I teased. Riker only stared at me, before scowling and glaring at me with fake-anger. (Riker could never really be mad at me.)

"It's just a girl, okay?"

"But you like her."

"Well… yeah."

"And you've been texting her a lot."

"Nuh- Okay. Maybe. Yeah."

"And you act so protective whenever I question about her."

"Well, you don't have to be so nosy about my whole life," Riker said, rolling his eyes. "It's my love life. Not yours."

"So you _do_ admit she's your girlfriend!"

"What?" Realization came across his face, and I knew right then that I was correct. Riker sputtered. "I mean, when I said 'love life,' I didn't mean she was my girlfriend or anything-"

"Oh, Riker." I shoved him in the shoulder, and he waited for me, bracing himself for either embarrassment or more intent questioning. I only rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your girlfriend." His shoulders eased up.

"Really?" His tone was majorly relieved. "Promise? Oh, thank you."

"But," I interrupted, "I am still going to ask about her. Who is she? Do I know her? Is she nice? Is she _here_? Come on, spill."

Riker glanced at me nervously, before looking behind me. I glanced back and saw Ryland was waving at us, telling us to come on. I looked back at Riker, who gave me a cheeky smile.

"Oh, look at that! We got to go!" Before I could say anymore, he sped off, jogging over to the rest. I rolled my eyes again, yelling, "Nice save, Macho Man!"

Then I laughed before following, a million possible girls running through my mind.

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It took us thirty minutes to get to our hotel and sort out rooms. I struck lucky again and got my own room, even though I could maybe share a room with my make-up artist and hair artist, Lexi. **(1.) **Not that I didn't like her or anything, I was just glad I got my own place to wind down.

I dragged my suitcase up four flights of stairs, since the elevator is apparently out of order, stated by a scribbled-on piece of notebook paper. I took out the card. At this hotel, instead of a key and lock, it was a card slot. I inserted the card, but a yellow light flashed above the slot, signaling I didn't do it right. I growled and tried again, but the yellow light seemed reluctant to leave.

"Having problems, miss?"

I turned around without thinking and said, "Yes, my card is being a brat right now." Then I paused, my eyes widening as I realized who asked me that.

Tony.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, and stepped back. He looked tired and beaten from the flight, his clothes wrinkled, and I realized I probably looked like that too. Oh great. I instinctively reached up and combed my fingers through my hair, tearing my beanie off.

"Are you kidding me?" he spoke for me. "You're in this room? For three days?"

"Yeah," I said. I looked at the door number. "Seven-oh-three."

"I'm in the room right next door." He jerked his thumb to the room on the right of mine. I seriously wanted to drop my stuff right then on the ground. I was pretty sure some divine force was messing with us, putting me next to this jerk.

"Seriously?" I asked. "Okay, I'm honestly getting weirded out by this... Can't you like, switch with Miranda or something?"

He shook his head. "What's the difference? She's on your other side. Seven-oh-one." He nodded to the door on my other side, and I groaned.

"Why do you keep following me around?" I asked him. Tony raised one eyebrow at me, his cute features perplexed.

"You think I want to? I don't like you as much as you don't like me. Don't think I want this to happen," Tony grumbled. He turned and took out his own key card, and was about to walk away, before I sighed and said, "Tony?"

He turned reluctantly. "What, Rydel?"

I held out my card. "Can you help me with this? I wasn't kidding when I said it was being a brat."

A smile cracked on Tony's face, and I couldn't help but giggle at my own stupidity. He walked over and wrapped his cool hand around mine so we both we holding the card. I wasn't laughing anymore. He gently guided my hand and pushed the card into the slot, and the light flicked on green.

"What…?" I wanted to question how he managed to make it work, because his actions weren't far different from mine, but then he was gone, clicking the door to his room shut quietly behind him.

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**So there's chapter two to ET! I wanted to upload it yesterday, but I found out I focus better if I use Word Document and transfer it to here. I don't know why, I just concentrate better with Word than using the work-space Fanfiction provides me.**

**1. Lexi is just an OC I came up with, someone who helps Rydel and the boys fix their hair and stuff, and their wardrobe. She's not a major character or anything, she's just going to appear here and there.**

**Anyway, PLEASE review! I would really like to know what you guys think, and if I should continue this or not or anything! I like this idea, but what's the point if nobody really looks at it?**

**Thanks for reading! **

**~Cynthia**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to the people who reviewed for the last chapter! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I was working on my other one-shots and stories. But those of you who did read, and maybe left a review, big thanks! I love your support!**

**I don't own anything you recognize. Please enjoy!**

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Rydel's POV

I woke up the next morning naturally, seeing the sunlight wash in from my big, clean, hotel window. My room here in the Portland hotel is _awesome_, big and spacious. It was themed black, white, and blue, the walls white with blue trim and the bed sheets a tasteful combination of black blankets, white pillows, and blue sheets. A black leather coach rested in front of a large flat-screen TV, with a coffee table in front of it with magazines stacked on top. The bathroom was amazing too; enough room to hold all my make-up and toiletries.

After I took a quick, steamy shower, I put on a beanie, a pink top, and black leggings. Tomorrow would be our show for Portland, and I would change into the fabulous outfit Lexi would have put together for me. But the show wouldn't be until 6:30 tomorrow, and we had planned on maybe exploring around Portland a bit for our first day.

Something settled my stomach uneasily though. Have you ever had one of those feelings where something bad today is going to happen? Like, it could be big or small, just something isn't going to go right? That's what I was feeling that morning. I made sure to lock my hotel door carefully and walk outside into the hall.

Tony and Miranda were standing in the hallway, near the stairs. From the hand-waving Miranda was doing and the head-shaking Tony was doing, it looked like they were arguing. And not just a typical sibling fight. Tony's expression was dead serious, his blue eyes flashing.

I couldn't help but catch a few words. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't stop myself.

"Miranda, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do! You know exactly what I'm talking about! I've seen the way you looked at her!"

"That doesn't mean anything. I'm just calculating her human ways."

"No. You like her. And you're always warning _me_ against socializing with humans."

"If you actually think I could get caught up with her like Aunt Riley and Uncle John…"

"You are! You like her! You want to take her to your hotel bedroom and do things to her!"

"Miranda-!" Embarrassment poured on his voice, and then my foot knocked against the wooden floor too hard. They both looked up, their eyes going to me. Tony's sky-blue, Miranda's aquamarine.

"Hey Rydel!" Miranda said cheerfully, her accusing tone vanishing like a wet footprint on a hot cement driveway. "What's up?"

"The sky," I joked lightly, but my mind was combing through the words Tony and Miranda had said. A tiny part of me thought _were they talking about __**me**__?_

Tony glowered at me, his blue eyes glowing in the shadow of his face. "Were you listening in on us?"

"What? No." I raised my hands in innocence. Then I tucked my hotel card in my pocket of the black coat I had put on, and Tony narrowed his eyes at me.

"That is not very polite of you, to eavesdrop," Tony said coldly to me. I stiffened my shoulders and glared at him.

"I was not," I snapped. "I am not that low class to eavesdrop on people's conversations. Even if I was, what could be so important that you'd get all frantic about it?" I curled my lips in a sneer, although I'm not sure how it looked. I don't usually sneer at people.

Tony gave me a cruel frown back. "Just leave us alone, Rydel Lynch. I can't believe I have the worst of luck to be put next to you."

"Gee, that's what I was thinking to!" I exclaimed with fake excitement. "How alike we think!"

Tony growled. "Don't you dare say that. You and I think nothing alike, and I'm glad we don't! Because, for crying out loud, you're so repulsive I don't want anything to do with you, and I sure don't want anything of me to be anything like you! Anybody who is in that Lynch family is a sorry ass!"

My jaw dropped, and stinging appeared in my chest. Miranda looked horrified, just like she had the first day when Tony insulted me, but she didn't say anything. Tony only smirked, no sign of remorse on his pretty face. I couldn't believe he said that about my family like that! My parents! My brothers! _Riker! _Me!

Before I could let the hurt breach into me any farther, I rolled my shoulders back and lifted my eyes to his. I glared back, hoping there wasn't any feelings showing in my expression.

"Good! I'm glad you said it so I wouldn't have to waste my breath! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to explore Portland with my _family_. Have a nice stay here, Tony." I let out a forced laugh, hoping it sounded full enough, before I walked past them and down the stairs, my boots crashing against the steps.

Even though Tony was just an irritating boy that I just happened to keep running into, his words hurt.

I met the rest of the group downstairs in the lobby. Riker was on his phone again (no doubt texting his mystery girlfriend I'll have to interrogate him more about later), Rocky and Ross were tossing a paper airplane back and forth, and Ellington was tapping his fingers and feet to the ground as he listened to music. Mom and Dad were looking at a brochure, probably looking for a place to eat breakfast.

I walked up to Riker. "I've thought of a few girls that could be the mystery girl you're dating."

Riker raised his left eyebrow at me in amusement before placing his phone away. He smiled at me, like I was a little kid trying to talk serious with an adult, and nodded. "Go ahead, Rydel."

"Riley." Riley **(1.)** was a girl that also helped Lexi with our wardrobe and make-up. It made perfect sense. She wasn't joining us on tour this time, and she and Riker were good friends, kinda, since she was a year younger than him. That would explain why he's texting her and not actually seeing her-

"What? No." Riker scoffed. "I barely know Riley."

"You're friends," I tried, but Riker laughed.

"More like pleasant acquaintances. I only know her full name and her birthday. That's it." Riker shook his head, and I went to my next guess.

"Dianna?" Dianna Agron used to work with Riker on _Glee!_ Not as much, since Riker doesn't really appear as Jeff the Warbler anymore, but when he did, they flirted like crazy off-stage. They might still keep contact. **(2.)**

Riker laughed again. "Half points. I did like Dianna at a time, but not anymore."

"Lauren!" I said, my final guess. She was someone that helped us work with the electronic sounds in our songs at the recording studios, and I've seen her and Riker get a bit cozy a few times. Lending a sweatshirt, getting each other drinks, things like that. **(3.)**

"I know Riley better than I know Lauren," Riker said, chuckling. "Honestly, Rydel. Stop trying to guess. You'll never figure it out."

Before I could argue, Mom and Dad came back, shaking their heads. "We couldn't find any special places to eat breakfast, but there's a Denny's nearby. How about that?" I nodded. Denny's was okay with me. But I was a little irritated that Riker wouldn't tell me who he was secretly dating. I was his sister! It was like somebody holding a leaking balloon right next to my ear.

We all walked into the white van we had rented for our stop here in Portland. The Denny's was too far, and by the time we finally got to the restaurant, I was so hungry that I felt like I _couldn't_ eat anything, as weird as that sounds.

Something felt off today, like I mentioned before. I guess I couldn't conceal it very well, or maybe Ross was just extra observant that day, because he nudged me.

"Hey. Something wrong?" he asked me, concern lacing his voice. I smiled at his tenderness, but shook my head.

"No, I'm just fine."

"Come on. You're not eating your pancakes like a wolf. Something must be wrong."

"Hey! I don't eat my pancakes like a _wolf!_ That's Rocky!" Rocky looked up from his loaded plate, a puzzled expression on his face, syrup smearing on his cheek right next to his mouth. We cracked up, and I poked my fork through a sausage on Ross's plate and dropped it on mine.

"Hey!"

"That's what you get for insulting my eating ways," I giggled, and Ross rolled his eye, grinning. I think he was just glad he got my laughing, and that was worth losing a sausage link.

After that, I lingered a little more with the conversation and tried laughing and paying attention, but honestly, my mind was somewhere else. I kept thinking about the talk I overheard from Miranda and Tony. Something told me they were talking about me, but the rational part of me though _there are lots of other girls they've probably met. Who knows?_

But something kept telling me it was _Rydel Lynch_ they were talking about. But that would mean Miranda was accusing Tony of wanting me. Like, _wanting_ me. And that was ridiculous. In the past few hours I've known Tony, all he's done is _insult_ my family and I.

Also, the way Tony said "_calculating her human ways"_ like I was some sort of creature they were doing tests on. Like they weren't human, or at least not normal. They _looked_ pretty human. The only thing that could be really abnormal was how brightly lit their eyes were, or how cold their touch was. But I've only felt the skin of each Lee siblings once, so that wasn't really a valid point, either.

Was it weird that a tiny spark of me hoped that they _were_ talking about me? I mean, clearly I was attracted. I was thinking about these people so much, specifically _Tony_. And I knew myself well enough that when I started thinking a lot about a guy, I liked him.

He was a jerk, but he was a _cute_ jerk. And that helped me like him better, even though they were just looks.

_Okay, Rydel_, I thought to myself as we stood up from our booth and walked out of Denny's. _You like this guy. Or, you're somewhat attracted to him, and you're going to be seeing him at every tour stop. And with your luck, he's probably going to be in the hotel room right next to yours too._

"Hey, guys," Mom called, turning around to face us as we all got back into the van. "There is this amusement park right nearby, called Oaks Amusement Park. **(4.)** It's also the season where they open up the rides too! Would you like to head there?"

Ross, Ryland, Ellington and Rocky whooped, and I smiled and nodded. Riker was texting his girlfriend again, blissfully unaware to his surroundings. (I wish he would tell me!)

It took us a few minutes to get there, and buy tickets for the rides. People milled around us, the smell of cotton candy and popcorn in the air, with festival music playing in the background. It seemed like the typical storybook fair, if only I was walking through the rides and games with someone… Tony…

"Hey Dells," Ellington said to me. "You look lonely. Want to go on the big ride over there?" He pointed to a huge metal ride with loops and screaming kids. I laughed and we both headed towards the line, where the guy took our tickets.

Let me just say: Don't get me wrong, I love Ellington, but like a brother. We've grown too close to form it into any romantic relationship. He's simply there to cheer me up and to talk to me, in the same way Rocky is. I know it looks like we flirt, but honestly, we act like that naturally. There's no feelings in between, and I doubt there ever will be. As sad as some of the fans will be, it's true.

The ride was exhilarating! We got to crawl in the first cart at the front, Riker putting his phone down long enough to join us. I was in the middle, with Ellington to my left and Riker on my right. Kids screamed behind us, and I laughed everytime the tracks led us high up in the air before diving us down to the ground.

When I got off, my legs were shaking slightly and my hair was kind of tangled around my neck, but I was better than Ratliff. I watched as Ellington staggered a little before slamming face-first into a metal pole. That cracked me up. Riker laughed with me, and I reached up to hug him.

Special Sister Treatment for me the rest of the day. Ellington mostly stuck around with me, going on rides with me, even a fancy carousel, which was mellow compared to the other rides but something he did because I wanted to. He and I competed at the little games, keeping track of our scores and in the end, I won the contest on _who could win the most games,_ topping him off at the ring toss booth. Ellington had to buy me cotton candy, but in the end, I tore it in half and gave it to him.

I didn't realize how long we actually stayed at the park. I had technically eaten my lunch with cotton candy, a caramel apple, popcorn, and other festival food, but I was hungry by 6:30, when the sun was giving the barest hints of setting. While we were all scattered around the fair, Mom had driven to a nearby grocery store to buy sandwich fixings, which she made and we all ate at the picnic grounds the fair offered.

We played simple games in the big field near the tables, like charades, dance contests to music that Ross offered from his phone (Riker won), and piggy-back ride races. Nothing was funnier than seeing Ross haul Rocky down the hill on his back and end up tumbling over him until they crashed into the huge oak tree at the bottom.

Mom was the only one that worried if they were hurt; Ryland, Riker, Ellington, Dad and I were too busy laughing and leaning against the tables to really care.

On the way back in the car ride, the sky a masterpiece of orange and pink, Ellington poked me in the shoulder. "Feel better?"

I raised my eyebrows at him, but nodded. The loose feeling in my stomach was carefree and content, and my skin felt like it was glowing. "Yeah. How'd you know I was a little down?"

"Ross told me after we left breakfast."

"So, it was all a set-up?" I laughed, imagining Ross bribing Ellington to spend the whole fair day with me just to cheer me up. It was actually really sweet of him. I reached up to the seat in front of me and squeezed Ross's shoulder in silent thanks, and he flashed me a grin.

"Not really a set-up. I was happy to help. I don't like seeing you down," Ellington said. "Although I _knew_ you would beat my ass at that ring toss. You think I suffer that embarrassment on my own free will?"

I laughed, and he joined me. Then he sighed happily, looking past me and out the window. "Hey, what were you sad about anyway?"

"Hmm? Oh. Nothing. It's no big deal." I tucked my hair behind my ear and Ellington raised an eyebrow at me.

"Honest to truth, Rydel?" His voice obviously said _tell me, for real._

"Okay, okay. I just… remember that guy, Tony? From Seattle? Well, he's in the same hotel as us, right next to me, in fact. I just heard him and Miranda talking and there's a chance they were talking about _me_," I confessed.

Ratliff straightened in his seat. "Were they insulting you?"

Well, did _calculating her human ways_ seem like an offensive phrase in my book? Not really. I haven't even heard someone use that sentence before.

"Not Miranda at all. But Tony saw me listening a little and kind of threw out some words," I admitted. "To both me and the family. I kind of resent him for that, but you know. Haters gonna hate."

Ratliff laughed. "Yeah, I guess it's not a big deal. Glad you're feeling better."

"Me too."

We finally got to the hotel, and we all walked back up to our rooms, having to take the stairs because the elevator was still out of order. My feet ached, but I didn't really mind. A feeling of satisfaction calmed down over me as I dug out my key card and tried putting it in the slot.

Oh right. These locks just don't work with me.

I heard the click of everybody else's doors shutting, and soon I was left alone in the hall. I felt patient though, I didn't really mind all the tries I had to make as I kept inserting the card in the slot and then tried again because the yellow light flashed.

Suddenly, I heard voices. A guy's and a girl's. Footsteps. I could make out the girl's light heels clicking on the steps versus the boy's slow, pacing steps. They trampled up, and then appeared in this hallway.

I glanced up, mostly just because I heard them, but my eyes widened as I realized it was Tony, his arm around a tall blonde girl that swayed like she was drunk. Of course. He got her drunk, and now he's taking the chance to get her into his bed for some luck.

"_You want to take her to your hotel bedroom and do things to her!"_

Oh.

_Oh_.

So it wasn't me that Miranda and Tony were thinking about. A part of me deflated, my hand stopping midway with the card half-inside the slot. I watched as they staggered towards me, Tony leading her to his room.

Tony's eyes met mine, the blueness of his irises cutting my mind into pieces. The girl seemed unaware of me, giggling and almost running into my back as Tony led her past me. I stepped forward so her arm wouldn't touch my coat. I could smell the heavy perfume on her. I wondered how Tony could handle it, holding her so close.

His eyes stayed glued on mine as he held the girl in one arm and dug into his pocket with his other hand. He pulled out his card, slipped it in, and unlocked his room, taking the girl inside. Damn, how could he get the stupid door to unlock so easily?

His eyes finally left me, unlocking me from my frozen state of shock. I could hear the girl giggling and murmuring as Tony slowly shut the door behind him. "Hmm… Tony, I'm _tired_. Let's sleep together in your bed…"

Then I was alone in the hallway again.

Frustrated, I jammed my card into the slot again. The eternal patience I held before wore off quickly, and I slammed the card into the slot forcefully. To my surprise, it blinked green and finally unlocked for me. Usually when I was frustrated, the Universe took pity on me and let small good things happen for me. But I didn't celebrate my little task. I stormed in, slamming the door shut a little too hard behind me.

The happiness of the fair day was gone completely. I could barely think as I changed into my pajamas and got ready for sleep. Something about seeing Tony with that drunk brunette made me mad and let down at the same time.

_It's because you're attracted to him_, I thought as I laid on the bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. _Since you like him, everything he does means ten times more than it normally should. Like taking a drunk girl in for a one-night stand._

I sighed, rolling over on my stomach. An unsettling thought came to my mind. _Even if it WAS you, would you appreciate it if Tony got you drunk just to sleep with you?_

I let out a groan. I was suddenly so sensitive to everything. I picked up the soft white pillow the hotel offered and threw it forward, and it hit the back of the couch before falling on the carpet.

_That_ was the bad thing that I knew was going to happen today.

* * *

**Sorry it took me so long to update! But I'm actually pretty excited for this story, I hope you guys are! I know it might seem a little fast that Rydel is already thinking she likes Tony, but remember, right now it's only a guess. Like 'okay, I must like him since I keep thinking about him.' She's not sure if she REALLY likes him.**

**1. Riley is a random OC I made, who could possibly appear here and there. Just invented for Rydel's guess on Riker's girlfriend.**

**2. Dianna Agron was actually on Glee with Riker, and there ARE a few shippers for those two out there! I don't know lots about her, and I'm not even sure Riker did ever actually have feelings for Dianna, but I've heard bits and pieces that Riker was showing hints for liking her. I don't know! It just seemed like an easy guess for Rydel.  
**

**3. Lauren is ANOTHER OC invented so Rydel can just grill Riker on his girlfriend. I just want to clear up that none of these OCs exist, just in case.**

**4. Oaks Amusement Park is an actual place in Portland. I never actually went there, in fact, I've never even been out of my own STATE, but thanks to Bing, I did some research and found that. Seemed like a good place to have a chapter, and sounded like the typical magical fair. And from the reviews left, it's a nice park. xD**

**Anyway, there's chapter three! Thanks for reading! Please leave a review on what you think!  
**

**~Cynthia**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! Here's chapter four of E.T.!**

**I don't own anything.**

* * *

Rydel's POV

I woke up feeling stressed. At first, I didn't know why. The hotel bed I was in was comfy. It wasn't the fact that I didn't recognize where I was for a second; I had gotten used to waking up in weird rooms and then remembering I was in Oregon or London or Narnia or something.

There was soft sunlight coming in through my window again. The sheets smelled like cotton candy from last night's festival food. And my hair needed a good wash. But what really killed the mood was what I saw last night.

Stupid Tony and his stupid tricks.

Well, I guess it wasn't really a trick. I had no business whatsoever with him and that girl. I shouldn't have even eavesdropped on him and Miranda in the first place. But still, the way he stared at me as he took the girl into his room…

It nerved me.

I stood up, trying to think of the positive. Today was our show for Portland. Every concert R5 ever embarked on was always amazing and hyper. It got my nerves buzzing like bees, only much faster. Every show made me want to collapse into a million pieces because I'd feel so down-to-earth afterwards. It's hard to describe. Only those who've experienced it know what it feels like.

Of course. We had the awesome Portland show. The fans won't fail us tonight. And if Tony wants to sleep around, he can. I don't care.

After I managed to drag myself in the shower, I felt a lot better. I changed into skinny jeans, boots, and an easy T-shirt to wear until I would have to change, and headed out the door. After getting a text from Riker, I found out we'd all meet in the lobby before eating in the dining hall the hotel had.

As I closed the door and tested the knob to make sure it was locked, I turned and almost had a heart attack as Tony crashed into me.

"Whoah!" he exclaimed, his voice smooth and deep. He grabbed my shoulder before I could maybe topple down the stairs and crack my skull open. (Don't laugh. I rarely have clumsy moments, but when I do, they are never pretty.)

"Oh," I mumbled, realizing it was him. I stepped back, teetering slightly on the heels of my boots before regaining full balance. "Hey, Tony."

"Hey, Rydel," he said back, with the same indifferent tone.

I paused. His eyes. Man, I would never get tired of staring at his eyes. Like always, they were a brilliant blue, his brown hair hanging across his forehead and in his eyes. He reminded me of Riker, with his looks. Maybe not the same eye color and hair color, but if Riker switched, they'd look almost alike.

His hand left my shoulder, and I barely had enough time to register how cold his touch was, again. Then he was heading back towards his room, and before I could think, I blurted out, "Hey, are you coming to our concert tonight?"

Tony raised his eyebrow at me. "Are you kidding? We already went to yours in Seattle. I didn't know we'd keep running into you later."

"I know, but I can tell Miranda really idolizes us, and I thought she might take advantage. I was just wondering… if you haven't gotten tickets yet, I could arrange something and get them for you guys for free." What was I saying? Could I? I had no idea if our Portland show was sold out or not.

Tony paused. "Why would you do that for us?" he asked. His tone wasn't rude, but more curious and honest. He seriously wondered why I would buy him and Miranda tickets for free.

_Wait. He doesn't know you like him. Man, I'm a novice with crushes!_

"Just… out of kindness," I lied. "I mean, I love meeting any fans."

"I'm not sure if _I'd_ want to go," Tony mumbled, and I bit my lip. "Miranda might. I'll ask her later. Thanks for the offer."

I may be a novice with crushes, but I could tell by the way he rushed his words and turned for his door that the conversation was over. I felt like an incredible idiot as I turned away and briskly walked down the stairs to the lobby, my own face heating up, even if he was already behind me and gone.

It wasn't just the fact that Tony was my new crush. It was also because something about him just didn't seem right. Something didn't seem perfectly normal. I know we're all 'unique' or whatever, but something about Tony was…

_Inhuman._

That seemed insensitive, but it was true. Something about his cold touch, bright blue eyes, and perfect stance made him seem abnormal. Or maybe I just wasn't used to such perfectness. If anyone was perfect, it was Tony, with his looks. Maybe if he wasn't so rude…

I continued walking down the stairs, going to the lobby. I saw Riker there, and he walked up to me, smiling. His phone, of course, was clutched in his hand.

"Morning," I chirped, flashing him a smile. "How's the girlfriend?"

"Rydel," Riker said, pretending to groan. "I'm never going to tell you, you know. At least, not until I decide if we're even official."

"So… she's not your girlfriend?" I asked, then pouted. "That sucks."

"I don't…. I guess we text and talk enough to each other to call it dating," Riker mumbled, but I heard him well enough. "And back home, when we saw each other, we went out on I guess you could call them dates and… kissed a few times… I just don't… I'm not sure if she…"

"Reciprocates the feelings?" I suggested. "I'm guessing you like her, at least, from the way you talk to her. You're just not sure if she likes you back?"

"Yeah." Riker didn't even try denying that much. Then, to my surprise, he looked at me with pleading eyes. "What should I do?"

"What should you do…?" I echoed, my mind suddenly going blank. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. I didn't know with this kind of stuff. I was surprised enough that Riker even asked me for my assistance. The closest thing I had to crush experience was Tony, and I didn't even want to think of that.

"Uh…" Riker was still looking at me, waiting for a response. As we walked down the hall, we pushed through a door marked _Dining Hall. _I saw the rest of the band, and quickly told him, "I say go for it. I mean, clearly you like her. And if you've been texting her this much, she probably likes you too."

"And if she doesn't…?" Riker asked quietly as we walked to the table where the other bandmates were at.

"You either go out and get what you want or you don't, Rike," I finally said, and the conversation ended quickly as I plastered a fake, bright smile and sat down next to Ross.

We had pancakes and sausage, loads of potatoes, and probably drained the whole supply of orange juice. There were boys there, anyway. They had huge appetites. Plus, our show was tonight. Just thinking about it made me smile.

After we finished scarfing down our breakfast, we went to band rehearsal. Since it was only practice, we didn't need to change our clothes and wash our faces or anything. We climbed into a cab and went to the stage, where we set up Ellington's drums first. They always take the longest.

We practiced a series of songs, doing the dances as Ryland tested the different lights. Later, he approached me, holding the set list.

"Hey, Rydel," Ryland said. "I hope you don't mind, but I found out your cover of E.T. by Katy Perry was actually a _huge_ hit to the fans, and I added it to the songs to perform. Is that alright?"

"E.T.?" I asked. "Oh, sure. I mean, why not? They liked it?"

"Of course they did, Dells," Ryland said. "They love everything by you, probably."

I laughed. "Cool! I can't wait!"

Band rehearsal is always fun because when we mess up, it's no big deal and we laugh it off. Plus, it just seems easier, doing it in casual clothes like we were then. There's also room for plenty of pranks and shenanigans, like taking a cymbal from Ellington's drum-set when he isn't looking and playing, or maybe changing the tone of the microphone in the middle of a song, so Ross can go from sounding like an angel to a dying Bigfoot. It's hilarious, and so much fun.

I practiced E.T. again, making sure I had everything memorized. I only did that cover in Seattle because it came up in the earlier Q&A, someone suggested it. I never thought it stuck, and I didn't think my voice sounded so much like Katy Perry's, but I liked trying it out!

We went out for lunch, eating nearby at a small fast food restaurant, where we ate lots of fries, burgers, and had lots of sodas. I think the waitress recognized us, or maybe she just thought he was cute, because she kept coming back over and trying to flirt with Riker.

I'll be honest; that annoyed me. A lot. I wanted to stand up and shout that my older brother already had a girlfriend, that she can just leave, and _damn_ we have _enough_ servings of fries, thank you very much! (She kept bringing over baskets and baskets of fries. It was getting annoying.)

Then, we went back to the stage to get ready and add finishing touches for our performance. I went to my dressing room, and Lexi followed me, ready to touch up my make-up and give me my outfit. I could already feel the jitters coming on, but they weren't from nervousness. I never got nervous anymore.

Lexi had me changed into a sweet blue dress with black tights, matched with awesome high-heeled leather boots. I did some smoky-eye make-up, adding some red lipstick, and straightened my hair. It took _forever_, but Lexi wouldn't settle for less with me.

After I put on a mix of bracelets and necklace and rings, I walked out of my dressing room, seeing Riker standing in the hallway, his back against the wall… texting. Again.

I sighed, walking up to him, my boots clicking on the ground. "Riker, our show is in ten minutes."

He nodded absently. "I know."

I cleared my throat. "Better say goodbye to your girlfriend."

"Rydel, leave me alone." His voice was distant, and I sighed in frustration.

"Okay, I'm starting not to like this girl," I admitted out loud. "She's sapping your time, Riker. Come on. The show is starting, _soon_." I grabbed his arm and yanked, only I pulled a little harder than I meant to. He stumbled into me and almost sent me sprawling on the ground if he hadn't kept his balance.

"Rydel, stop!" Riker exclaimed. "I'm busy."

"She's probably not even worth it, Rike," I said, more irritated now that he just brushed me off like that. Between the two of us, did he choose his mysterious girlfriend over me? His only sister?

"Shut up, Rydel," Riker snapped, before intently looking at his phone, his fingers flying across the keys of the letters.

My mouth opened. "Riker Anthony, we have ten- no, eight minutes now- to get on-stage, and you and your petty, not even-a-girlfriend can stop that." I reached over and snatched the phone from his hand, and he let out a cry so desperate you would've thought I ripped off his oxygen tanks in the ocean.

"Rydel! Give it- Stop- You little-!"

"What are you even talking about anyways that is _so _interesting?" I cooed, and I was faintly aware of how out of character that sounded. What was wrong with me? Something about Riker's secret girlfriend really bothered me, and got beneath my skin.

"Don't look!" Riker almost yelled at my face. "Rydel Mary Lynch, don't you even try-!"

I turned my back swiftly, elbowing him in the chest hard, and he stumbled back. My eyes were looking at the gray bubble texts this girl has been sending frantically, reading them as fast as I could.

My mind flew at a million miles per hour.

_That's really sweet, Riker. But… I have to be honest._

_I don't feel that way about you._

_I thought you just missed me because we're good friends. I never thought you had feelings for me. Can't guys and girls be only friends?_

_I'm sorry, Riker. I just don't like you like that. _

_We can still stay friends, though, right?_

I looked at Riker's replying text, and my eyes widened as I scrolled down through the conversation, immediate pain and pity for Riker lurching in my chest.

**I don't want to be just friends with you.**

_Oh…_

**I really like you. I don't think I could stand it if we were 'just friends' and not any more. I wouldn't even be able to talk to you anymore if that is how it's going to be.**

_Then… I guess… just don't talk to me anymore, Riker. Okay?_

I almost dropped his phone, my grip going weak. I looked back at Riker, who had sunk to sitting on the ground, his head in his hands, looking like he was about to cry. I glanced back at Riker's phone, seeing her texts again.

Ouch.

"Riker…" I trailed off. "Oh, Riker. I'm so"-

He interrupted me, clearing his throat. "I took your advice. I asked her if she liked me and admitted I had a crush on her. I told her I miss her like hell and that I wanted to be with her."

I didn't say anything, only stared at him, waiting.

"And she doesn't like me," Riker said slowly.

"But who…?" Then I looked at the phone again, seeing the name at the top. My eyes almost practically jumped out of their sockets as I say the name _Laura Marano_ labeled.

I was almost screaming. "You had a crush on _Laura? _Laura _Marano! _Riker, what the hell is wrong with you?"

He flinched back like I had hit him, and just in that glorious moment, Ross walked down the hall and heard what I said.

"Riker likes Laura?" he questioned. Before neither Riker nor I could protest, it sunk into him. Ross's eyes widened, and I could already see the jealousy building up inside of him at rapid pace.

"You like Laura!" Ross exploded, and ran at Riker. Before he could start a fight, I stepped in front of him, throwing Riker's phone back at him.

"Ross, stop!"

"That ass likes Laura!" Ross yelled. "Where did you get the nerve? Where the hell did that come from? She's my _co-star_, Riker! What did you do? Ask her out? You think she'd say yes at all? You honestly thought she'd like you too?"

Riker didn't say anything, only cradled his phone in his hands as he stared at his phone. Sitting on the floor, with his hair in his face and tears in his eyes, Riker looked so vulnerable and small.

I wanted to cry too. "Oh, Riker. God, I'm so sorry!"

Before anything else could happen, Rocky and Ratliff ran down the halls, whooping, unaware of our expressions or Riker's tears. "Portland! Here's to us!"

They ran past us, and Ellington grabbed my hand, pulling me with him, urging me to skip up and down the hall like a princess with him. But the excitement for the show had vanished quickly into nothing, and Riker miserably stood up, still leaning against the wall like he needed it for support.

"Portland!" Ratliff yelled again. "Come on, Rydel! We're on!"

_The fans_, I told myself. _Put it on for the fans._

But I couldn't help but notice Riker wipe away a few escapee tears and slowly turn off his phone, shoving in his pocket and forcing a smile.

* * *

The fans were stomping in rhythm as we walked on-stage, and as soon as they got the first glimpse of the toe of Rocky's Converse, they were screaming. The energy started to get back inside me, washing away the sadness like fresh water. I smiled naturally, and casually walked to my keyboard.

Show time.

We talked to the crowd a bit, playing around with them. Then we started the endless series of songs, squeezing them out of ourselves like you make orange juice. The rush was amazing; the singing, the lights, the stomping… My ears were ringing, but I didn't mind.

After hours of playing, the concert started to dawn to an end. Then there were the beginning notes of _E.T._ I felt my stomach rumble in excitement as the fans screamed, recognizing it too, and immediately clapping along with the beat, reinvigorating the moment. I moved from my keyboard to the front of the stage, grabbing the microphone off the stand. Riker came up to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and I paused. I was used to that kind of contact from Riker; usually we goofed around with each other on-stage while performing, but I thought Riker was still mad at me about the Laura thing.

I guess not. I grinned, and I instantly felt a lot better.

"_You're so magnetizing. Could you be the devil? Could you be an angel?"_ I started singing, my voice modified thanks to the programs, but the fans loved it. The lights flashed in a rapid swirl of blue, purple, and green, and it almost made me dizzy, but I shoved it down.

"_Your touch, magnetizing. Feels like I'm floating, leaves my body glowing."_ I did a dance that I had created for this song, and the fans cheered. I grinned, and Riker smiled at me slightly.

"_They say,"_ I continued. "_Be afraid. You're not like the others, futuristic lover."_

I swept my eyes across the crowd, twirling and moving my body to the beat. My mind moved in slow motion, and I guess it was the effect from all the noise and lights, but it seemed like my mind was a camera, taking pictures and pauses. Or like a video on slow Wi-Fi, glitching out randomly so you only see random bits and pieces.

I didn't mind, only it was a little disorientating. I kept dancing, the thrill rising up in my chest, my heart beating faster and faster as Ellington whacked the drums. I walked across the stage, waving my arm in the air, and the fans waved theirs back in sync with mine.

"_Different DNA. They don't understand you."_

It was amazing.

That's when the weird thing happened.

I looked across the crowd again, my eyes shifting more towards the back rows. Beyond all the waving hands, the signs, the heads, the arms… was somebody slouching in the back. Not dancing or screaming or even moving a little to the music. They leaned against the side wall, and it looked like a boy.

The blue lights turned off, replaced by the purple lights, and with the blinding lights out of my way, I could see the person better. I could make out the muscular, definitely male, build, and see glimpses of their graphic T-shirt and ripped jeans.

Tony.

In a millisecond, I thought that couldn't be Tony. I had offered him and Miranda tickets. He never replied back, saying he needed them. It could be someone else. It could be just another guy dragged along to an R5 concert by his sister. It was just my mind, induced by Tony, playing tricks on me.

But I looked again, and saw bright blue eyes. It definitely was Tony.

That's when I noticed something. In my peripheral vision, I saw the guitar cord that connected Riker's amp to his bass, which was thick and bulky, laying across the stage. Riker stood in front of me, dancing, unaware of me behind him. The cord should've stayed motionless, laid out behind him, but as I kept walking, it looked like… it looked like the cord _moved_ towards me.

Before I could react, the cord was at my feet, or maybe I had just walked _to_ it, and I stumbled in my heels. Being at the edge of the stage, I toppled off, right in front of the barrier that held back the fans. A pain shoot up my ankle, calve, and knee and I let out a wail.

Abruptly, the music stopped behind me. My ears were ringing, the microphone dropped at my side. I was aware of some hands, coming from the stands, reaching out, trying to touch me and grab me. I could only think of how hot I suddenly was, how much pain was shooting up my leg, and how cool the floor seemed beneath me.

I was faintly aware of Riker jumping down (more gracefully than me because his jump intentional) and scooped me up, yelling my name, asking me if I was all right. I felt like I was underwater, hearing those voices, but only a distance away.

"What hurts?" Rocky's voice asked me, as he approached me too. "Rydel?"

"My left leg," I managed to mumble. Ross and Ratliff jumped down and they all started swarming me with questions, but I tuned them out.

Finally, Riker's voice broke though as he said, "Let's get you to a doctor, Dells." He picked me up, carrying me with ease, and hauled me backstage. I heard Riker telling the crew what had happened, before taking me to a van to get to the doctor's office.

As Riker tried fitting my body into the car-seat without putting too much pressure on the leg I fell on, I glanced back over his shoulder. From the outside of the concert, I could still see the lights, still hear the people bustling inside, wondering what happened. They didn't know we had slipped out a side entrance and cancelled the show yet, but they probably would any second.

Right before I passed out from exhaustion, I saw the same exit door we used open a few meters away. Someone had saw us. It'd only be a matter of time before the fans started swarming…

Then I realized it was Tony.

He leaned against the building, watch my other siblings rush around to get me to the doctor, his brown hair hanging across his forehead. Rocky and Ratliff clambered into the car, Ross jumping in last, and Riker slamming into the driver's seat next to me. I twisted my head, looking out my window, still trying to keep my eyes on Tony as we pulled out of the parking lot and into the dark street.

I could've sworn I saw him smile as we drove away to the doctor's.

* * *

"Alright, Rydel," the nurse said, walking back into y room. I was sitting on the hard leather bench they offered, swinging my legs in front of me. My left knee hurt everytime I bent it, but I didn't care.

The doctor trailed in behind the nurse. The nurse's name was Allison. The doctor's name was Dr. Greenberg. Allison was a small Asian woman, with pretty almond brown eyes and dark hair. Dr. Greenburg was like Santa Claus, bald at the top of his head with some gray in the hair he had left. I liked them.

"We took a look at some x-rays of your left leg, where most of the harm was," Dr. Greenburg explained. "We found no serious damage, although from the tests we did, and from the obvious looks, we can tell that you fell on it pretty hard. It's mostly those boots you were wearing." He nodded his head at my leather lace-up boots that sat neatly at the corner of the leather bench.

"Your leg was just almost crushed under all your weight falling on it," Dr. Greenburg continued. "And the heel of your boot wasn't the greatest support either. Your leg might feel a little bit sore, and tense, but just try some warm stretches and rest a bit, and it should mend itself easily own its own."

"That's all?" my mom spoke up. She was the only one with me. The rest were waiting in the waiting room for me. My ears were still ringing, and the back of my head tingled.

"That is all," Dr. Greenburg confirmed. He looked at me. "You're lucky you didn't hit your head or did anything else."

"Oh, sweetie!" Mom said, suddenly getting nervous. "Do you think you hit your head too? Your arm? We went to make sure everything is fine."

"Mom, it's okay," I said. "All I am is just tired. But the rest of me is fine." I twisted my neck and shook my arms and legs loosely to show her I was alright. "Just my leg."

"It might be hard to walk on it," Dr. Greenburg added. "You may need crutches, which may be a little overdoing it, or at least something to help you stand. Or just walk very carefully on your right leg. Make sure to put as little pressure as possible on your injured leg."

"Alright," I said, agreeing quickly. Right now, all I wanted was to sleep, but I couldn't pass out in the check-up room or anything. Allison worked at the computer in the corner, typing up a summary for my visit. I sighed, and in a few minutes we were walking back out to the waiting room, where I was washed in hugs.

We reviewed what the doctor told me, before the doctor released us back to our van and we went back to the hotel. My feet were numb. Even though I had fallen off the stage, keep in mind I had also done several dances and jumps before that.

We quickly went back to the venue to collect our things, and by the time we got there, the place had cleared out. I guess a crew member told the fans that the show was cancelled early, no pictures afterwards, and they left. Rocky went in and got my bag for me, which had the hotel key card in it.

In a few minutes we were back at the hotel. Riker tried helping me, but I insisted that I need no help from him, even though it took me triple the time longer than it usually does to get up the stairs. The stupid elevator stuff was out of order.

Eventually, I got to the hallway. I heard doors shut around me as Riker went into his, which was across and down the hall a little, and my mom and dad, who shared a room four down from mine. I leaned against the door-frame, digging into my bad for my key card.

Soon, I was standing alone in the hallway again as I pulled out my card and clicked it in.

Yellow light.

The lights in Riker's room went off.

I tried again, slowly pushing the card in before smoothly taking it back out of the slot.

Yellow light.

I tried again, faster, then quickly pulled it out.

Yellow light.

Another room light flickered off.

Frustrated, I slammed the card into the door, and just like that, it snapped in half. A clean cut slanted down the middle, the pieces barely connected together b by a small piece of plastic tying them together. Busted. My eyes widened, and I held it up, turning it over in my hands. I examined it, and my mouth opened in shock.

I tried seeing if I could fix the card into one piece, but just like that, the little plastic bit that held the two together broke, and I was left with two dull plastic card bits. I would've tried maybe holding them together while I inserted the card, but I didn't want to risk getting one of the pieces stuck in the slot.

_Well, damn._

I knew I'd have to pay for that. Uh oh. I carefully tucked the two pieces back into my bag, sighing. Then, it occurred to me without my second card, I couldn't get into my bedroom. Couldn't sleep on the bed, couldn't brush my teeth, and couldn't even take off these God forsaken boots. I let out a groan, and looked around.

The hallway was quiet. Anybody was insane to be up now. I could actually hear Riker's soft snoring, even though the walls were thick. I sighed, wondering if I should maybe tiptoe down to the front desk lobby if they were still open, and ask.

But then I saw it.

The glow of light.

In Tony's door.

Did I dare ask him if I could stay with him tonight? The thought made me want to shriek and run into my room like a bunny… only… if I had my card. I didn't want to wake up anyway, and it would take me forever to walk downstairs with my leg. What if they weren't even open? Would I have to identify myself if I needed a new card? What if I couldn't?

In my mind, I knew I was just making up excuses to see Tony. I wanted to see him. I wanted to jump at the chance to spend a night with him in the same hotel room, and I would.

I shuffled over, seeing the light still on. I put my ear to the door, and listened for noise. I heard music, if I concentrated enough and closed my eyes. He was awake still. Would he say anything about the concert? My leg? Oh god, if he did…

Before I could chicken out, I knocked on the door. I waited. The music stopped, and then there was the sound of the bed creaking, someone getting off it. Footsteps, then the door opened.

At first, I couldn't think. He looked gorgeous as always, his brown hair hanging in his eyes, slightly mussed but in a cute way, the way my brother's always is. His eyes were bright blue, and he showed no signs of exhaustion. He seemed alive and refreshed, in fact, whereas I felt like utter junk.

I recognized him, though. He wore the same white graphic T-shirt I saw at the concert, I saw while we were driving out of the doctor's. It was black and white, with splashes of blue, yellow and green. Ut took me a moment to realize it was a galaxy with stars, and colors like the Northern Lights had collided with it too.

"Rydel," he said, surprised for a moment so hostility wasn't in his voice. "What are you doing up?"

"Fell off the stage," I answered quietly, hoping not to wake anybody. "Landed on my leg. We had to go to the doctor's."

Tony raised an eyebrow at me. "Alright… what do you want? Why aren't you in bed, resting or something?"

I pulled out the two pieces of my key card and smiled sheepishly. His eyes reflected in the dim light from the hallway. Tony chuckled sweetly, and shook his head.

"Typical Rydel. I don't think I can fix that, if that's what you're asking…"

"I didn't expect you to," I mumbled. "It's just… can I… stay over tonight?"

Confusion formed on his angel face. "What?"

"I can't get into my room," I explained. "I don't want to share a room with my brothers or parents… and even so, they're asleep. You're awake, so…" I trailed off, and he got the idea.

"Oh. Oh." Tony blinked. "You want to stay the night with _me?_"

"You were awake."

"Still… with _me?_"

"I don't think the front desk is open."

"Rydel…"

My face heated up, and I prayed he didn't notice. "Well, where else am I supposed to sleep? Out here? In the streets? Maybe inside the broken elevator? If I can even get to it, in these crazy heels." I lifted my good foot up slightly, and Tony raised his eyebrows even higher.

"Rydel, I don't know." I could hear the doubt in his dark, soft voice.

Of course. Did I honestly expect him to agree to something so stupid like that? Well, I did, but I knew in reality he wouldn't. I held my chin up, gripping my broken key card in my hand.

"Alright. Good night, Tony. Sorry for disturbing you." I turned and stomped forward, but I used the wrong leg, smashing the ground with my bad foot. A jolt of pain shocked up my leg and I almost fell flat on my face if I hadn't caught my balance. I felt my face heat up, but mostly I was muttering curses, trying to ease the burning pain in my calf. I read somewhere that cussing can increase your pain tolerance.

Suddenly, his hand wrapped around my wrist, smooth and cold. "Wait. You can't sleep outside."

"Where else am I supposed to sleep?" I asked. "Oh, maybe the dining hall has an extra couch."

"No, I mean…" He fumbled for a moment. "I mean, I'm not letting you sleep anywhere else but beside a bed. And I guess I'm your only option."

"Really?" I asked, turning. That twisted my ankle, and I almost buckled, but Tony reached out his other arm and placed it on my back, catching me. He chucked again, and I felt so tempted to just… make a move right then, in the orange dim light of the hall.

"Come on, Rydel." He let go of me and I stood up. He walked back into his hotel room, looking back at me. "I'm not letting you sleep alone tonight."

I blinked, and he moved out of the way so I had room to enter. I grinned brightly, limping forward on my legs carefully, and Tony laughed.

"You're going to have to explain what you did to that leg before you sleep," Tony said.

"Fine by me," I answered.

Then I walked inside.

* * *

**Here's E.T.! Sorry about the long wait, the next chapter will be all about her talking to Tony since she's sharing the night with him. And don't mind that Riaura bit, I had to throw that in there. cx**

**Anyway, PLEASE review on what you think! I'm sorry for the slow updates, but do you like what I put out?**

**~Cynthia**


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